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Player ratings: Shaky

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 18:28

The Springboks wobbled their way to a 30-17 victory over Scotland in Nelspruit on Saturday.

Scotland really took it to the homeside in the first-half of the game and were fully deserving of their half-time lead.

Luckily for the Springboks they managed to do enough to score two second-half tries to take the win and set up a date with Samoa in the final of the Incoming Series in Pretoria next weekend.

Nick Tatham rates the South African players:

15 Willie le Roux
Mistake ridden game but straightened the line beautifully in the first try for JJ Engelbrecht. His swift touch is what the team needs and is appreciated as he grows into the no.15 jersey.6/10

14 Bryan Habana
Was not as influential as last week but was not given many opportunities. He is always looking for work and asking questions of defenses.6.5/10

13 JJ Engelbrecht
Did not have a lot of opportunities to showcase his skill-set but he did manage to get over for a try. Made his tackles and it was a solid second Test match.6/10

12 Jean de Villiers (captain)
Ran hard at the defence and did the basics well but also didn't offer anything special. Lead the side well and was the calming influence when the game could have taken a turn for the worse.5/10

11 Bjorn Basson
Also had very few chances but was always up for the kick-chase and worked hard off the ball. Made a great tackle to deny Scotland a try early in the game.6.5/10

10 Morné Steyn
Never got the side going forward and fell off a couple of tackles. Kicked from hand a lot but did not seem to control the game at flyhalf. Bailed out on a high ball that summed up his game.4/10

9 Ruan Pienaar
Was very slow to get the ball out of the ruck and allowed the Scots to get their defence lined up. A few misdirected kicks from the base. Gets the 'yips' whenever he puts on the Bok jersey.4/10

8 Pierre Spies
Ineffective in the carry although he tried to give his side the momentum. Seemed to battle to get himself into the game and it is still surprising that he maintains the No.8 jersey.
4/10

7 Arno Botha
Was only on the field for four minutes before he went off with what looked like a serious knee injury. Not enough time to be rated.

6 Marcell Coetzee
Carried the ball well and when he shifted to the blindside he seemed to go back to the game that got him the Springbok call-up in the first place.6.5/10

5 Juandré Kruger
Another forward that was AWOL during a lot of the game. Won his line-outs but really did not contribute in the loose.4/10

4 Eben Etzebeth
Always going to put in a massive effort and was all over the park. Showed that he has matured when provoked by Jim Hamilton. Growing with every game.6/10

3 Jannie du Plessis
Scrummed hard but was lazy around the field and got away with a number of illegal infringements at the ruck. Came in the side to numerous occasions at the ruck.4/10

2 Adriaan Strauss
Won a good penalty for the Boks and was solid around the field. Line-out throwing was not at his accurate best but was solid in the loose. Was not his usually composed self.5/10

1 Tendai Mtawarira
Was industrious but lacked precision in open play. Scrummed well but was responsible for a penalty for hinging at the scrum. Was a little disappointing but will always give 100%.5/10

16 Bismarck du Plessis (on for Strauss, 66th minute)
Not enough time to be rated.

17 Trevor Nyakane (on for Du Plessis, 76th minute)
Not enough time to be rated.

18 Coenie Oosthuizen (on for Mtawarira, 66th minute)
Not enough time to be rated.

19 Flip van der Merwe(on for Etzebeth, 66th minute)
Not enough time to be rated.

20 Siya Kolisi (on for Botha, 4th minute)
Absolutely brilliant on debut. Did not look out of place at Test match level and made a huge impact on the game. Carried the ball with purpose and tackled incredibly. Deserving Man of the Match.
8/10

21 Piet van Zyl (on for Pienaar, 69th minute)
Not enough time to be rated.

22 Pat Lambie (on for Steyn, 70th minute)
Not enough time to be rated.

23 Jan Serfontein (on for Engelbrecht, 70th minute)
Not enough time to be rated.